The present invention relates to compound miter saws or other power operated equipment or machinery utilizing a cutter for performing working operations on a workpiece. More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements in the bevel stop mechanism for the bevel adjustment for such power operated equipment.
Saws and other apparatuses designed for cutting or performing other working operations on a workpiece typically require adjustment mechanisms for moving the saw blade or cutting tool into an angular relationship to the workpiece. Examples of such equipment include cross-cut compound miter saws which are adapted for allowing the user to selectively move the saw blade into any of a number of positions or modes for square cutting, miter cutting, bevel cutting, or compound miter cutting where a combination miter angle and bevel angle are cut. In addition, some operations, such as dado cutting or shaping operations, for example, require the use of saw blades or other cutting or working devices of different shapes or sizes to be substituted for one another in order to perform the desired operation on the workpiece, whether the workpiece is composed of wood, plastic, metal other materials.
In order to allow for the adjustment in the miter and the bevel angle, the saw blade, cutter or other working device is angularly adjustable with respect to a horizontal base and a vertical fence against which the workpiece is positioned. The miter adjustment allows the saw blade, cutter or other working device to move angularly with respect to the vertical fence while maintaining perpendicularity with the horizontal base. The bevel adjustment allows the saw blade, cutter or other working device to move angularly with respect to the horizontal base while maintaining perpendicularity with the vertical fence. At times it may be desirable to cut a combination miter angle and bevel angle by simultaneously adjusting the angularity of the blade with respect to both the horizontal base and the vertical fence.
Once the saw blade, cutter or other working device has been adjusted to the desired position with respect to the horizontal base and the vertical fence, locking mechanisms for the miter and bevel adjustment must be activated in order to prohibit movement of the saw blade, cutter or other working device with respect to the base and fence while the cutting operation is performed. These locking mechanisms need to be easily activated, adjustable and quick acting in order to optimize the efficiency of the cutting apparatus and provide convenience to the operator of the apparatus.
It is also advantageous to provide bevel stop mechanisms so that operators can change and easily locate common bevel angles. These bevel stop mechanisms need to be easily engaged and disengaged, adjustable and quick acting in order to optimize the efficiency of the cutting apparatus and provide convenience to the operator of the apparatus.
In accordance with the present invention, an improved bevel stop is employed in a miter saw. The miter saw includes a table on which a workpiece is placed, a miter saw unit supporting a saw blade and having a motor for rotatably driving the saw blade, and a housing pivotally supporting the miter saw unit related to the table in such a manner that the miter saw unit is at least laterally pivotable. Further, the miter saw includes a bevel mechanism for selectively determining the lateral position of the miter saw unit at any of a plurality of pivoted positions including a vertical position where the saw blade is positioned substantially vertically relative to the table, and leftward and rightward pivoted positions where the blade is inclined laterally leftwardly and laterally rightwardly from the vertical position.
The bevel mechanism includes a movable rod and three fixed stop members, the rod being operable to move between a first rod position abutting one of the fixed stop members and a second rod position not abutting the one of the fixed stop members so as to permit the lateral pivotal movement of the miter saw unit. The first fixed stop member is disposed so that the rod abuts the first fixed stop member when the miter saw unit is at the vertical position. Similarly, the second fixed stop member is disposed so that the rod abuts the second fixed stop member when the miter saw unit is leftwardly pivoted at a first predetermined angle from the vertical position. Further, the third fixed stop member is disposed so that the rod abuts the third fixed stop member when the miter saw unit is rightwardly pivoted at a second predetermined angle from the vertical position.
Other advantages and objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the subsequent detailed description, appended claims and drawings.